MyRetailCareer

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I’m showing my age by using the title of an old (1981) Clash song, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”  A very popular song from right in the middle of my formative college fraternity years.

Here it applies to those of you that are looking for a new job and find yourself in a geographic location that has little or nothing to offer in opportunities.  Let’s say you moved for your most recent position and now the company is downsizing or closing and as they say, “This is a one saloon town.”  Are you better off staying where you are and conducting your search from there or moving to a metropolitan area where there might be more saloons?

There are a lot of elements that factor into a decision such as this.  I’m going to list a few and then pass along my 2 cents worth.

• Do you own or rent?
• Are there others involved in this decision?
• Can you afford to move?
• Are you open to a major metro area that might have more opportunity?
• Is there any assurance the area you move to will improve your chances?
• What if you move to NYC and then get an offer in LA, do you want to move twice?  Need any more stress?

This list is far from complete but I consider these deal breakers that depending on the answer any single one might prevent you from moving.

My suggestion is that prior to making any such decision and even before giving it some thought; you make a comprehensive target list of companies you’re interested in as well as their competition.  If you put all your target companies into an Excel spreadsheet you can use Google or other programs to map them.  Even easier, open a free account on JibberJobber and you can add your target companies, map them, track contact info and more. 

A far less expensive strategy might be to identify target companies in say, SF and LA and plan a trip out there.  Fly through Denver, Chicago, or Mpls. and plan lay-over’s. Sometimes, flying location to location with a regional is really pretty inexpensive. Make it a Holiday Inn Express night, free internet and breakfast bar!

Use LinkedIn to identify who you know in those cities and who they know.  Try to fill your dance card with as many meetings as possible.  Make your self visible.  Tweet about it and ask your followers to please re-tweet.

Companies don’t want to relocate.  It’s not only the expense but the uncertainty.  Trust me, I’ve coordinated a lot of relocations and they are never done until the person shows up for work and even then they can fall apart.  If you are in Podunk, MI, at the crossroads of Zeimer Rd. and Shearer Rd. and want to work in LA, then ask a friend if you can use their mailing address or check out a mail box and mail forwarding service like Mailboxes, etc.

Whatever you do, don’t deceive anyone.  Be honest.  “I’m presently in Podunk, MI and plan to move myself to LA.  Since it’s such a large area, I’m using a friend’s apartment as my base until I decide which area to move to.  Employment obviously will impact that decision.”

Bottom line, unless you are set on a specific geographical location, stay put.  If you can relocate yourself, make that clear to potential employers in a way that you set aside their concerns. 

Take Stock

Yesterday I said, "take stock in what you have."  The Oxford English Dictionary says the phrase was first used in 1736. According to the OED, to take stock means "to make an inventory of the merchandise, furniture, etc., in one's own ... possession, recording its quantity and present value, or to make a careful estimate of one's position with regard to resources, prospects, or the like."

How do you take stock of your career?  I think a lot of people look at tangible items like salary, position, title, responsibilities, achievements and maybe some intangible items like satisfaction, pride, and sense of purpose.  Notice though the definition says resources, prospects, or the like.

Dr. James. M. Wendling of the Wendling Group sends out a nice newsletter "a positive moment."  Today's issue, "The 10 biggest lies that stop people from getting what they want", which should be available on the web site soon, talks about how people can be kept from obtaining their goals by critics.  It's motivating to read and reminds us not to listen to those who say we can't achieve our goals.

How it fits in the topic of "take stock" is that if any one of these 10 highly successful individual would have "taken stock" at the time in what might be considered a traditional way, it's possible that none of them would have reached their goals.

Here's a bit of the article.

You don't have enough talent. Responding to his desire to become a recording artist, Ray Charles' teachers said: "You can't play the piano, and God knows you can't sing. You'd better learn how to weave chairs so you can support yourself."

I think Ray Charles probably took stock.  I think he might have thought,  "Resources? I have a lot of time on my hands, so I can practice and get better at my piano and my singing.  Prospects? Even being a mediocre singer and piano man beats weaving chairs all day."